Shangri La Therapeutic Academy Of Riding Inc

To provide educational, recreational and physically challenging therapeutic experiences using horse related activities for person with disabilities to foster personal growth and achievement. Our program is designed to help riders physically, cognitively, socially, and psychologically while providing a wonderful form of recreation. The individuals we service have a variety of physically, mentally and neurologically impaired disabilities from accident or since birth; children and adults. Children represent 85% of our riders - from ages 4-18 years old.
Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding is dedicated to providing quality instruction in therapeutic horseback riding to disabled persons and at-risk youth. Founded in 1987 as part of executive director, Lynn Petr's Therapeutic Recreation Master's thesis project, we are the oldest therapeutic riding program in Tennessee, as well as the first premier accredited facility of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA). Our mission is to foster personal achievement by providing challenging therapeutic experiences using horse-related activities for persons with disabilities or other special challenges.

Twenty-one years ago, the idea of putting a disabled individual on a horse was virtually unheard of and considered dangerous, hence the challenge was to introduce a new and unique program to think outside the box when it came to an alternative treatment to enhance traditional therapy. Ms. Petr accomplished this through numerous presentations to a health care professionals and civic organizations.

Currently STAR serves 130 clients a week, in a nine -county region of East Tennessee and a two county region of Middle Tennessee. The individuals serviced have a variety of disabilities which include, but are not limited to; Autism spectrum disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, developmentally delayed, head trauma/brain injury, hearing impaired, learning disabled, cognitive disorders, Muscular Dystrophy, Multiple Sclerosis, orthopedic conditions, paralysis, speech impairments, Spina Bifida, stroke, and visually-impaired.

Overall, our program is designed to help riders physically, cognitively, socially, and psychologically while providing a wonderful form of recreation while meeting the specific needs and goals of each participant. Riders participate one time per week for each session with one-hour lessons divided into two sections: groundwork and mounted segments. Miraculous results have occurred -- children talking for the first time, a never before seen smile, tremendous improvements in head and trunk control and first steps.